COVID has spread rapidly through humans all across the globe. But alas, you already knew that. Were you aware, however, that this virus is impacting more than just our Homo sapien counterparts? This virus has been transmitted from humans to deer. Furthermore, these hooved mammals are spreading it to one another. It may in part be due to their lack of mask mandates, social distancing, and vaccinations, but it’s difficult to be sure.

According to a study produced in Ohio and published in Nature, a multidisciplinary science journal that has been published since 1869, humans have already spread the virus to deer six times. Many scientists and individuals are questioning how many people are actually spending the time around deer and why these hooved individuals haven’t asked their human counterparts to politely adhere to CDC guidelines.

Much to our dismay, over one-third of the deer population sampled had already been infected with the virus, and even more cases across the states have been showing up. It is approximated that roughly 30 million deer have contracted this virus.

Though this may not seem like a large deal, it serves as a reminder to people to be safe and pay attention to nature and the animals around them. This pandemic is not just affecting humans and can have a greater impact on the ecosystem than most may think. This virus is being allowed to evolve and sustain itself faster and longer, as seen by the newest variant; Omicron. Thus, this serves as a reminder that the environment is more than just human society, but also the vast amount of different species in the world.